


Jasmine

by thepartwhere



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ugh, and waaaaaaaay before the shitstorm that is the ATLA comics, don't get me started on that, hence 'Honora' instead of 'Izumi', this was written with knowledge of Korra but before Korra aired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 05:03:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11867319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepartwhere/pseuds/thepartwhere
Summary: "But look at her. She's toasting tea cups with the air!" Mai tries to soothe Zuko's worries, but the Fire Lord doesn't like watching his daughter talk to blank spaces under big trees. Meanwhile, Honora learns to sing. Maiko, hinted Kataang and Honora/Bumi





	Jasmine

Zuko couldn't help but sigh in exasperation as he left the meeting room. They had only resolved another issue concerning the former Fire Nation colonies. Everything had settled down more or less a couple of years ago, but problems occasionally sprang up and his approval was needed for, naturally, everything. It wasn't that he minded, it being his duty; it was just that everything had come all at once today, like some great tidal wave ready to swallow him whole.

The Fire Lord paused on his way back to his chambers and looked up to the great golden tapestry that hung against the red halls. His uncle would have known exactly what to do. He'd been Zuko's wisest advisor, though he refused the official title and often opted to stay out political affairs in favor of tending to his tea shop. He died years ago due to a complication not even Katara could figure out. Even so, the Dragon of the West had gracefully accepted his end. It was just like him.

Heaving another breath, Zuko calmed. He missed his uncle every day.

Still, he had dealt with these things with the patience necessary to his station. At least, the Fire Lord that should be, and not the Fire Lord that came before him. He had learned that well thanks to the path his uncle showed him.

Mai was reading when he arrived. "It's about time," she drawled, but he knew by the slightest upward twist of her lips that she was pleased.

Zuko kissed her in greeting, his eyes searching the room. "Where's Honora?"

"Where else?" The Fire Lady jerked her head to the wide window.

It opened to a balcony overlooking the Royal Family's private gardens. There a great oak tree shadowed a narrow stream and the smaller, trimmed foliage surrounding it. Honora usually stayed in their room, but she loved that garden in the palace and played under that tree as often as she could. Today she had her mini tea set out. She had been fond of it lately.

Zuko felt Mai's arms encircle his waist. "Don't worry. It's natural for kids to have imaginary friends. Remember Kya with the weird puppets? That scared Katara out of her wits and it turned out to be nothing."

The Fire Lord couldn't help but frown. "But look at her." Below, Honora giggled and raised her tea, speaking though he couldn't hear it. "She's toasting tea cups with the air!"

"Relax." Mai sighed, "If you're so scared, why don't you play with her for once?"

"I think I will." Zuko squared his shoulders and twirled, marching out of the room.

 

* * *

 

Zuko crept into the garden. The staff watched him a little oddly when he tiptoed around his own home, but Honora was frightfully perceptive for her age and sometimes called out to him whenever he walked past her room despite being surrounded by a flurry of advisors.

Honora's back was turned. She was quiet now, but tilted her head from side to side like she had drunk cactus juice. If he found out who gave his daughter that substance… Yet when Zuko came closer, he froze. She wasn't drunk. The timing was a little off, but he'd heard it right.

"Daddy!" Honora looked before he even spoke, as though his pause had been out of place as opposed to his approach. She reached her arms out to him.

Smiling, Zuko plopped down on the grass and took her up on his lap. "Honora, what were you singing?"

"A song," she answered.

"What was the song?"

Honora's eyes glittered. "Do you wanna hear it, daddy?"

"I do, actually."

His daughter nodded eagerly. Hands clasped, eyes closed, she sang,

" _Leaves from the vine / falling so slow_

_Like fragile, tiny shells / drifting in the foam_

_Little soldier boy / Come marching home_

_Brave soldier boy / Come marching home_."

Honora's eyes fluttered open and watched him expectantly. When he stared at her in shock, her face fell. "Don't you like it, daddy?"

"I – I do!" Zuko immediately replied. "I was just wondering. Where did you learn that song?"

"From the man in the hallway," said Honora, craning her neck upward and making a motion as if to the wide open sky. She referred, of course, to the tapestry that depicted all his glory and benevolence. He hadn't even liked it much himself–it had been a silly gift from Toph, some joke between the two of them–but Zuko had thought it proper to hang it there after his departure. "We were drinking tea earlier, but then he came to pick him up and they left right before you came."

Zuko swallowed down a gape. "Who - who came to pick him up?"

"His son, daddy."

Zuko blinked. Once, and then again to blink away tears. Honora squinted at him, pressing her hands against his face, one gentle against his scar. She once inquired as to why she didn't have one herself if she was going to inherit his position; he had almost laughed at such a dear question. "Don't cry, daddy. He promised he'd come back."

"Fire Lords don't cry," he reassured his daughter.

"Okay," Honora accepted. Somehow, Zuko felt as though she knew better.

He cleared his throat. "Honora, do you want to sing it again?"

The princess nodded. "We can sing it until he comes back! "

"All right. And it's _comes marching home_ , Honora."

"What?"

"The last line. _Brave soldier boy / Comes marching home_."

"You know the song, too!" gasped Honora. Something appeared to click in her mind as her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Daddy, who is that man in the hallway?"

Zuko smiled. "They called him the Dragon of the West. But I thought of him as my father."

"Does that mean I can think of him as my grampa? What was his name? How come you never told me?" She frowned, as if he should have gotten a word in edgewise with her questions. "Daddy!"

"Okay, okay," Zuko laughed. "I was going to tell you eventually. Yes. And his name is Iroh."

Honora's heart swelled. Somehow it was like she'd already known, but it was nice to hear it from her father's lips. She often heard around the castle that he was the best Fire Lord in millions of years, so she had decided that it meant it was her duty to be just like him. Although her grampa – why didn't he say so before? – just said it was always good to have some tea before making big decisions.

"All right, you two," her mother called from the balcony. "Time to come up."

"Mommy!" Honora refused, "I wanted to sing with daddy."

"Daddy can sing alone. He's dressed. Look at you, sweetie, still caked in mud."

The princess beamed down at her bare feet. Auntie Toph said it was okay to walk around without shoes. Even if Honora was a firebender, she still looked up to the greatest earthbender in the world.

"But mommy!"

"Let her play, Mai," Zuko agreed.

"Have you forgotten already?" huffed the Fire Lady. "Aang and Katara are arriving tonight."

"Oh, yeah!" cheered Honora, whining forgotten. "What about Uncle Tom-Tom? Oh, and is Kya coming? And the new baby?"

"You know your Uncle Tom is busy in Omashu this time of the year. But you'll be happy to hear that Bumi is coming."

"I don't like him!" she cried, rising just to stomp a foot. "He's always playing pranks on me!"

Mai crossed her arms. "Don't make me count to three, young lady…"

"Okay, okay!" grumbled Honora. She looked back to Zuko, pleading for some support, but he could only shrug helplessly. Soon it didn't matter. His daughter's unhappy expression became all aglow.

He reached out for her. "Honora?"

"I have to dress up now," she called to her tea set, maneuvering from his grasp. "But I'll come back, too!" Honora skipped away, but skidded, stopped, remembered something. She looked back at her father and smiled with intended encouragement. "You have tea with him first, daddy."

Zuko turned. He was young, looked like some manner of fearsome general, but at the same time he saw the gray beard and the constant smile, the eyes flashing with joy and wisdom.

The Fire Lord found himself speechless. Slowly, like the smallest movement would lose him the moment, he peered into his daughter's cup. "Tea?"

"Jasmine?" The chuckle. It had felt like ages. Had been ages. "My favorite."

**Author's Note:**

> Before you comment that Iroh's favorite is Ginseng, Iroh cites Jasmine as his favorite on one occasion and Ginseng on another. Who knows with that guy tbh
> 
> And yes let's pretend Zuko doesn't talk about Iroh because it's just... too soon *sniff*


End file.
